Airbag modules of this type are mainly used for restraining passengers in an automotive vehicle in the case of accident.
In conventional systems the airbag deploys into the interior of the vehicle and is supported by the windscreen of the vehicle with its side facing away from the vehicle occupant. Due to this supporting effect the shifting forces occurring when the vehicle occupant immerses into the airbag are partly transferred to the vehicle through the windscreen. The windscreen also ensures stabilization of the airbag and contributes to holding the same at its provided position.
Later developments in vehicle design, however, turn to strongly curved windscreen and rounded vehicle fronts. In these cases the windscreen is too distant from the vehicle occupants, however, to be reasonably used for supporting the airbag.
It is therefore the object of the invention to modify a vehicle occupant restraint system for such vehicle in a simple way so that a secure restraint of the vehicle occupant is given.